Google Gives In On Nexus One Fees, Support

Farm fun aside, the Nexus One fix-it list rolls on: The phone recently received an over-the-air update that delivered native multitouch functionality and a handful of other software improvements. The improvements included a tweak to eliminate 3G connectivity issues as well as a new synchronization-ready version of the Google Maps Android app.

Following the Nexus One's first week in the wild, I suggested that if Google could fix its customer support and connectivity problems, it might just be sitting pretty. As I pointed out at the time, the Nexus sales estimates may not be through the roof -- but the goals surrounding the phone are likely far broader than any raw numbers can measure.

The Nexus One marks the beginning of a new kind of distribution model headed up by Google. At its launch, Google's Android team hinted at the future growth in mind for the company's new platform-centric phone store. With the initial kinks slowly coming under control, I suspect we'll soon start to see how those big picture goals could begin playing out.

JR Raphael frequently covers mobile technology for both PCWorld and eSarcasm, his geek-humor getaway. He's on Facebook: facebook.com/The.JR.Raphael